I remember my first creation was a cotton fabric flower brooch.

favourite colour combination this season?

My favorite colour combo this season is a classic one… red & turquoise and they just so happen to feature in my Autumn 2012 collection.

what inspires you?

WOW, what doesn’t inspire me?? Colour and texture really inspires me. The colour and texture of raw silk is amazing and the different colours in gemstones as you hold them up to the light and how they feel in your hand, some smooth all over, some faceted, some heavy and others surprisingly light. Their raw beauty tells a store and I love that.

who is your favourite creative person?

My favorite creative person is my strapping husband, Tim from Four Wooden Corners. He gives me honest, objective feedback and when I’m loosing sleep over my business he encourages me & gives me a fresh perspective, something we all need once in a while.

if you had $100 to spend at the next Perth Upmarket how would you spend it?

mmm $100 smackers!  How would I spend it?  I love the little doves by Twice Loved and I’ll take some Cookie Dough Biscuits please and I can never go past Eucalypt Homewares the colours and textures of Melanie’s ceramic pieces are simply stunning.

Lily & Me Accessories celebrates the uniqueness in every woman, man & child, the joy of wearing something beautiful and the process of creating beautiful accessories for YOU! You will find Lily & Me at the next Perth Upmarket and can visit her online shop at www.lilyandmeaccessories.com

To enter the draw:
Visit Tamara Harrison website (http://www.tamaraharrison.com.au) and return here to tell us one of the colours from the colour me quick range, in the comment section below.

Terms & Conditions:
1. One entry per person.
2. This competition is open to Australian residents over the age of 18.
3. Entries close Wed 9th May 2012.
4. A winner will be drawn at random from all comments, and announced on
5. The winner will be contacted by email and must reply with their postal address with 14 days of notification. In the case that the winner does not contact us, a second draw will take place from the remaining entrants.
6. This prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash.
Don’t forget to include your details, so we can contact you if you win.

This week Evaglo are giving one lucky reader the chance to win a pamper pack valued at $35.

The pack  includes 1 x Evaglo signature 57g Metro Candle , 1 x mini 200ml Pink Jewel Champagne, 1 x 125g Evaglo Signature Cocoa Butter Vegetable Soap & 1 x Chocolate

To enter the draw:

Visit the Evaglo website (www.evaglo.com.au) and return here to tell us what the Evaglo secret ingredient is in the comment section below.

Terms & Conditions:

1. One entry per person
2. This competition is open to Australian residents over the age of 18
3. Entries close Wed 11th April, 2012 at 5pm.
4. A winner will be drawn at random from all comments, and announced on Thus 12th April 2012.
5. The winner will be contacted by email and must reply with their postal address with 14 days of notification. In the case that the winner does not contact us, a second draw will take place from the remaining entrants.
6. This prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash.

Don’t forget to include your details, so we can contact you if you win

I was very fortunate to grow-up in a fully functioning workshop filled with many industrial machines, I would spend hours chatting/watching my Mother sew and taking in all her techniques. So my first memory would have to be a White ( I know of all colours!!!) mini skirt! At the time my Mother was out for the day but I was determined to make the skirt then and there, I was only about 11 mind you. So off I went, fabric in hand and greeted my Mum with the most perfectly put in zip and a lovely fresh summer skirt. Just goes to show that if you are determined and have had an incredible teacher you can achieve anything, My mum is still amazed by the zip even today as just from watching I knew exactly where to start!

favourite colour combination this season?

Back in February I had the pleasure of attending a viewing of the stunning new collection from GP & J Baker! The Magenta and Lime accents were just so striking and fresh for a very playful fun space for any little lady. I am also loving the calming soft Wedgewood Blue and crisp white which is a feature in my new collection for Boys and Girls inspired by the fresh coastal style and antique china patterns which were on show at March Perth Upmarket.

what inspires you?

Oh goodness that’s quite a tricky one……Antiques, Magazines, Family and FABRIC!!!!! I adore gorgeous prints and natural fibers such as linens, silks and velvets. I really appreciate the skill involved in the weaving techniques and embellishment of embroidery and beading. My Children inspire me all the time with the games they invent with fabric, trims, and blankets especially my sons imagination. Also our never ending renovations on our home, although I wish I had more rooms to experiment in!

who is your favourite creative person?

Honestly it is my Mum, her talent is just incredible for creating everything and anything surrounded by fabric. Her knowledge and skills just continues to astounds me for techniques

if you had $100 to spend at the next Perth Upmarket how would you spend it

Only $100!!!!! Gosh that’s a very hard choice as so many talented artisans in Perth! I would definitely purchase some games for my Children Jack and Stella from Mollydagmade, always a must for my sweet tooth is a cupcake or two from Kustom Cupcakes then something gorgeous from Uber room.

Petite Bijou is an Interior Styling Boutique dedicated to bespoke Interiors for Children. With all collections they capture a timeless classical styling with a French/Hamptons twist! The designs are ageless and will bring an air of sophistication, whimsy and style to your child’s room. Fabrics are sourced worldwide and are all of high quality cottons and linens and offer stunningly beautiful prints. All pieces capture a sense of history and many have commented that the quality of each piece makes these heirlooms to treasure forever just like your children!

The first item I remember making was a granny square crochet rug. My Nanna taught me how to crochet and I have recently rediscovered my love for it. I treasure so much the skills she has passed down to me.

favourite colour combination this season?

I am loving the spectrum of rainbow colours – fabrics can be so simple and beautiful in these stunning bold colours.

what inspires you?

I find inspiration from all sorts of different places. Mostly I find inspiration in the relationships I have developed with fellow creatives and customers. I love working with like minded people who drive me to create and value the customer base I am building and always challenging me to look at different ways to make and create .

who is your favourite creative person?

My favourite creative person would be Claire Turpin from Claire Turpin designs. I am in awe of her creative talent as a designer and sewer. I love collaborating with her on projects and we often have sewing days which are filled with fun and exciting ideas and new projects to make.

if you had $100 to spend at the next Perth Upmarket how would you spend it?

If I had $100 to spend at Perth Upmarket I would stop by Cookie Dough for some Mud Pies and Big Elvis cookies from Lisa, I would also love some hair bobbles for my girls from Mich Designs and I couldn’t go past a necklace from Robin Gage. Heart to Hand stock stunning Note cards so I would need a pack of these as well.

Tied with a Ribbon started from making the birthday gifts that my girls would take along to birthday parties. I kept being asked to make more of the items for brothers and sisters of the kids and I started to wonder if I could do this as a business and sell my items to others at Markets. With my teaching background I wanted also for people to see that they could learn to sew without it being a daunting experience. You don’t have to have a sewing machine to be able to sew, just by learning some simple hand sewing skills you can make your own creations. Especially children, who really seem to enjoy learning these sewing skills. I love the beautiful textures and designs. Most things I made always seem to incorporate ribbon into the designs somewhere. I loved that “Tied with a Ribbon” could also reflect the attention to detail I strive for – the finishing touch to something handmade to treasure.

sundaysunset.images is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a beautiful 18″ panoramic print of Queen Street Jetty, South Perth at sunrise.

Your 18″ panoramic print of Queen Street Jetty, South Perth at sunrise will be printed on archival quality paper with an acid free mount and archival matting. Valued at $75

To enter the draw:

Visit sundaysunset.images website (www.sundaysunset.com) and return here to tell us one of the steps in sundaysunset.images creative process, in the comment section below.

Terms & Conditions:

1. One entry per person
2. This competition is open to Australian residents over the age of 18
3. Entries close Sunday 1st April, 2012 at 4pm.
4. A winner will be drawn at random from all comments, and announced on Tuesday 3rd April.
5. The winner will be contacted by email and must reply with their postal address with 14 days of notification. In the case that the winner does not contact us, a second draw will take place from the remaining entrants.
6. This prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash.

Don’t forget to include your email details, so we can contact you if you win.

Here are my 5 take away learnings from the workshop:

• Google Analytics can tell you where your traffic is coming from, eg direct, adwords, referral etc.  You can then use this information to  see which channel is working best for you and then develop your marketing strategy.  The pie chart tool is a great visual to get this info.
• You can add a e-commerce tracking code to your site and this can give you more valuable information like where the $ are coming from and conversion rate for each channel.
• 2-4% is the global average for conversion rates. ie sales/visitors
• Setting up a sales goal can be very effective in working out how to improve your online sales results.
• Bounce rates tell you information on which pages you should be working on to imporve. We should be working towards a bounce rate of less than 50%. (this will vary depending on the purpose of the page).

For the workshop attendees, what was you key learning?

Available in other colour combinations

Dimensions of flower 45 mm x 38 mm

Coloured brass, sterling silver earwires and neck cable (also available on chain)

Earrings $85 Pendant $95 (on chain $75)

Designed and made in Australia

www.facebook.com/Estelladesigns

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